Fable - Ask There's Something About Nira

[Khari]

Khari sat at the prow of the small boat that she had commissioned to take them up the coast to Nari. There was an excited smile on her face, like a child who was looking out forward to the trip ahead. They had only left Dornoch a few hours ago, but Khari had hardly left her place on the front of the ship. She seemed almost gleeful at the sights ahead of them, watching as the coast slipped along to the right of them.

The three men she had roped into operating the little ship were all Retainers loyal to the Dynast. All of them had some sailing experience, and more importantly all of them also owed a debt to Khari.

There was Asuka, whom she had found consorting with the Dynast's third Cousin. She had told him that his secret would be safe with her, but she would need a favor down the line.

After him came Yasui, who had once let an assassin slip passed him only for Khari to kill him later on. She had kept his secret, offering him the same bargain that she had Asuka. The man had been hesitant to say the least, but had his failure gotten out the Dynast herself likely would have demanded his suicide. Thus he'd acquiesced as well.

Last came Obi. He was one of the youngest Retainers in the Dynast's employ, and his crime was perhaps the most severe of the three. Khari had caught the young man stealing. He apparently came from a poor family, and in his hastened explanation had told her he was only taking what would not be missed so he could feed his brothers and sisters. Khari had offered to pay him some of her own stipend, and thus a debt had been formed.

She had called upon all three of them, and with no choice they had become Ichika and Khari's stooges. "Did you think of a name yet?"

Khari asked as she heard Ichika approach.

 

[Ichika]

There was something pleasant about a boat ride on the gulf. The thickness of the air and the gentle lapping of waves against the bow. Normally, the ships she sailed upon were commercial vessels or luxury yachts, both were much larger than the small little thing they found themselves on. But, Ichika had to hand it to her, Khari managed to assemble a functioning crew swiftly enough.

Even if the one she called Asuka kept trying to steal little glances at her and the one called Yasui seemed to be bit slow in the head.

"I think so," she answered with a grin. "I wanted to go with something that sounded a bit unassuming." Although, she wondered if she'd need to part with her katana for something much smaller. Commoners didn't carry around large, noticeable weapons. Ichika was pretty sure of that.

With her arms crossed and a look of confidence she announced, "Peco sounds pretty average, right?" And, without missing a beat she followed her declaration up with, "have you come up with a cover name for yourself?"

It was odd, she'd been to Nira before although it was mostly as a child. Seeing the excitement overflow on the daemonette's features was infectious though. Ichika couldn't remember the last time she'd been this excited about a simple boat ride.

"We'll need proper back stories too."

The fun was really just starting.

 

[Khari]

Khari smiled. "Tara."

It was not a very 'Dornoch' name, but then they were specifically trying not to be from Dornoch. Slowly she pulled her eyes away from the views that were cascading by on their right, giving more of her attention to Ichika.

She wasn't exactly the greatest when it came to cover stories. She was an assassin, not a spy.

This whole...adventure with Ichika had made it clear to her that she had some major failings within her deck of cards. There were a lot of things she simply did not know how to do. It was frustrating, but she would take the opportunity to learn. She had to.

"Business women." She said with a flared wave of her hand. "We're looking to invest."

They had the gold for it. "We're coming from Alliria, hence the..."

She pointed to her horns.

"More diverse down there." Khari thought it might be a good enough explanation.

 

[Ichika]

"I like it," she offered with a smile, "Tara and Peco. Prominent investors from Alliria. You can tell people you're part satyr."

Ichika wasn't ever sure if her new friend was self-conscious about her horns. There were times, well glimpses really, where it seemed like they had bothered her. Khari's demeanor never really seemed to shift though. She wasn't able to tell if this was due to the training she had received as an assassin or a realization she had made growing up.

Calling attention to your differences was never a good strategy for fitting in.

A smirk formed as she wished she could let the daemon know that she didn't care about those horns of hers. "No one will question where we're from if we sell it well enough. If we give off the illusion that we're wealthy they'll overlook just about anything." It was something Ichika had learned from her own life experience. A blessing of sorts that came from being born into the Tsuri household.

That was probably the closest she could come to telling her companion that her horns didn't make her that much different. It was a stark reminder though that even in a nation as accommodating as Erdeniin there were still so-called, 'imperfections,' that made others cruel.

"We'll find some fancy garb when we arrive. Really sell this story."

Ichika had brought enough coin that it shouldn't be a problem, although she wasn't under any illusion that Khari didn't have ample currency to throw around as well.

 

[Khari]

Khari smirked. "I was thinking Tiefling, but I unfortunately don't have a tail."

She sighed whisfully as though it were an actual wish of hers, then let out a laughm her head shook and a bemused smile touched her lips.

Noes was supposedly a bit more tolerant than Dornoch, owing to the Daimyo's strong language of acceptance. Khari had no idea what it would mean for her, but just as Ichika said she was willing to bet that enough gold thrown around would make anyone forget about what sat atop her head. At least she was hoping.

Her lips pursed for a moment as she stretched out in her seat.

"Perhaps we can even land ourselves a meeting with the Daimyo." Khari mused. "If we attracted her attention it might give us more insight than a simple search."

It would be dangerous, there was no doubt, but it would also be a hell of a lot faster than searching the entire city for the Ito Clan.

 

[Ichika]

Joy sprang from Ichika's face like an overeage fountain on a warm summer's day. "Ooh, Tiefling could work." Short, dark hair bobbed as she tilted her head and smiled in return. "You lost your tail for undisclosed reasons. It makes your character a lot more mysterious."

There might have been a risk that she wasn't taking this as seriously as she should have but that would be something they still had a full day of boating to settle. For now she could just enjoy the time they spent on board the little craft.

"Does sound a bit risky," she confessed, "but doesn't that make it all the more exciting?"

That was probably pushing the little charade a bit too far. Time to pull it back into gravity. "We could start by making connections somewhere more prominent. Maybe we could find a lead on some social event or swanky club." Ichika knew that they wouldn't find exactly what they were seeking at either locale but it'd give them the next best thing.

Information.

They'd either discover a contact with the Ito family or someone who could put them in touch with the daimyo or just get a better picture of high society within Nira. Neither of them had a clear understanding of the city's politics, at least so far as she could tell, so making a small inroad somewhere was going to have to be step one.

 

[Khari]

Khari nodded in agreement. It was a good idea, and if Nira was anything like Dornoch then there would be a dozen social clubs they could parade themselves around in to gain words of what they required. A hand reached up, rubbing against her chin in thought.

"We're going to have to spend a lot of gold." The Daemonette said with a loud laugh.

Wealth in such a way had never really meant much to Khari. Unlike many people back home she had never really been without. The Dynast granted her a stipend, and although most of that was used to replace whatever it was she broke, over the years she had managed to save up a small fortune.

If she had to spend all of it to clear her name, then that was what she would do. "So step one."

Khari declared.

"New clothes." She gestured to herself and Ichika. "Step two, fanciest hotel room we can find."

They needed to keep up appearances. "Step three, party?"

It only seemed natural, though Khari couldn't hide the smirk that grew across her face.

 

[Ichika]

Ichika smiled at the horned assassin. ”I brought some coin along. If it’s not enough and you have to spend some of your own gold we can go fifty-fifty on it. We’ll just say you’re loaning it to me and I’ll pay you back when we return home.” The Tsuri family wasn’t the wealthiest in Dornoch, not even close, but they had plenty of money. It was the least she could do for her new friend.

”I love everything about your plan,” particularly the ‘go party’ part of it.

The two of them had come from very different worlds and while this mission was vital for so many reasons Ichika couldn’t help but wonder if Khari was treating this as an escape of sorts. The opportunity to craft a new identity and for a few short days be that person was alluring enough on its own. Doubly so when you were feeling weighed down by familial obligations and expectations. Or, a society that hated you because you were born with devil horns.

It’d be a nice break.

”Nibble on any food we eat.” She snorted but felt the need to explain her tidbit of advice, ”some of the very wealthy women from other city-state’s do that. You’d think they don’t eat at all. The wealthier they are the less they eat.”

 

[Khari]

Khari gave Ichika an utterly incredulous look. "How dare you even suggest such a thing."

The Daemonette said with a frown, though it was obvious by her tone that she was jesting.

"If I'm going to be surrounded by food I'm damn well going to eat it." She didn't ever get to attend the Gala's or parties that the Dynast held. She had asked more than once, but every time the excuses had come flowing.

If she was going to one now...she was going to indulge in every facet that she possibly could.

"We're from Alliria, Ichika." Khari said, putting a bit of 'oomph' into the name. "The City of excess."

She had no idea if that was true, but she was going to sell it. "We eat every cream-puff and lobster claw that we can get a hold of."

Khari smirked at her friend, rather pleased with herself.

 

[Ichika]

Ichika had traveled some although she’d never really seen much of Alliria. From what she’d been told the city struck her as something of a hierarchical place with the opulence of the upper class being undeniable yet the lower classes struggled to survive. Far less equality between both race and class than a place like Dornoch.

Still, if Khari thought it was a place of excess…. ”maybe we change our strategy a bit.” She did enjoy cream puffs.

”We’re the daughters of prominent Allirian investors and we’re on holiday.” A smile followed as she elaborated, ”it’ll give us the liberty to be unaware of things Allirians in high society should know. We’ll have an excuse to cut loose too.”

Ichika chuckled at the strategy as she thought it through a bit more. ”And, people will underestimate us. They’ll think we’re stupid. If word gets to the daimyo,” her brown eyes narrowed on in a sinister way, ”maybe she’ll seek our “family’s” aid in her scheme.”

Money was obviously important to any plot and foreign investment was much tougher for authorities to track in Erdeniin.

 

[Khari]

"Oooo." Khari said with a smile.

"I've always wanted to be a society floozy." She had seen, met, and even killed enough of them to know that their lives were a lot more simple than her own. "It seems a lot more fun than being an assassin."

Especially one like her.

Being the daughters of rich nobles would give them a great amount of leeway, plus it would also explain more of her own appearance. The world was filled with all sorts of uniqueness, and it wasn't out of the questions that she was half Tiefling, half human.

She wasn't of course, that much she already knew, but it would be believable to most everyone that they ran across. "You're absolutely brilliant."

Khari told Ichika with a wide smirk.

 

[Ichika]

A satisfactory blush peeked its way up Ichika's cheeks. "I've got a lot of experience with floozies." It was her cousins she was referring to. They tended to take one of two paths in life. Serve the Tsuri main line or the Dynast herself through boring tasks in what was effectively the Dornoch equivalent of middle management. Or, the less honorable but surely more fun lifepath of living in luxury from the obscene wealth of your ancestors.

Unfortunately, Ichika was born into the main line. Her future was set in stone from the moment of her birth.

"I mean to say, you see them a lot. In the circles I run in. They always seemed to live pretty fun, carefree, lives." And now, both Khari and her would get to try-out those lives for a few days.

She returned her assassin friend's smirk with an awkward smile of her own. "Maybe I am brilliant, though I wouldn't go that far, but I can't hold a candle to the things you can do." Shifting the focus away from herself allowed some of the awkwardness to fade away. "I just had a convenient mother, you were selected by the Dynast herself."

Ichika's chestnut eyes lingered on the water, not wanting to make direct eye contact with her friend as her thoughts swirled in a torrent. It as so nice to take this job less seriously but she didn't want either of them to lose sight of its importance.

"We're going to clear your name. I promise."

 

[Khari]

Khari smiled at the words, though she couldn't agree with the sentiment.

Selected for my horns. For what I might be able to do. She thought to herself bitterly, wringing her fingers for a brief moment as she took in a deep breath and forced a smile onto her face.

She tried not to think about those facts.

Khari thought that the Dynast liked her. That the old woman might actually have gotten some joy from having a hand in raising her. Truth was though she'd never heard as much from the Dynast herself. There had been praise, but never love. Not even a whisper of it.

"We will." The Daemonette said finally. "How could we not?"

Khari jerked a thumb. "Have you seen the crack team I've assembled?"

A laugh escaped her.

"Maybe i'll get an even bigger estate as an apology." As it was, the one she had would need to be refurnished.

 

[Ichika]

Ichika joined in Khari's laughter. "Seems like the greatest little squad ever assembled."

If they were to succeed a larger estate should've been the minimum gift the Dynast granted the pair. While Ichika wasn't an expert on Erdeniin history she was fairly positive that this threat was probably the largest the Dynast had faced in three generations. The Ito were powerful enough but the daimyo of Nira was from the fabled Okada family. According to the stories, at the founding of the dynasty it was a member of the Okada family that served as a spiritual advisor to the first Dynast.

Both of these powerful families seeking to kill the Dynast would be a problem. The mere scandal of it alone meant that it was true the pair of girls had to proceed cautiously.

"I think we'll both be owed a huge estate once we succeed."

Perhaps Ichika could even move out of the Tsuri home. It'd be a relief to get away from her mother and siblings.

 

[Khari]

Khari smiled. "I'm sure we'll be able to hand in our request when we toss the conspirators at the Dynast's feet."

That might have been wishful thinking.

For once though, she would have liked to bring back someone alive. More often then not she just reported a death, brought back a head or a tattoo she had carved off. There would be a certain...satisfaction in bringing back someone who could actually talk.

Lips thinned for a brief moment, and she let out a long sight as her eyes closed and she enjoyed the simple breeze that passed over the seas.

The next day passed by quickly.

Khari and Ichika spent most of their time sequestered away from the men that the Daemonette had recruited. Most of those hours was spent with Khari asking Ichika small questions about what real life was like. She asked about siblings, family, parties, anything and everything that seemed 'ordinary' to her.

It was a never ending stream of wonderment and exhilaration, a genuine smile painted across her lips each time Ichika answered.

Eventually, a second dawn came, and Nira appeared upon the horizon. Khari was leaning against the stern of the ship, practically bouncing up and down behind Asuka as he moved the rudder to take them towards the city.

 

[Ichika]

The city of Nira was a marvel to behold in its own right. In terms of scale it wasn't as impressive as Dornoch and the young Tsuri woman was confident it paled in terms of wealth too. But it made up for those short comings with its numerous piers and ancient buildings. Even from this far out she could see shrines and temples decorating the hillside.

"Beautiful little town, huh?"

Ichika had already liked Khari before they set sail but after spending the day chatting with the daemon-girl she had felt their bond deepen into what she believed would be a strong and lasting friendship. Of course, they first had to survive this endeavor.

They'd agreed that the best course of action was to obtain irrefutable evidence or a confession and then take the daimyo of the Okada family into custody so that she could face the Dynast in person and answer for her crimes. Authorities within Dornoch could round up anyone within the Ito or Watanabe clans that needed to face judgment as well.

Sure, it would've been simpler to just kill the Okada matriarch but that came with its own set of problems.

"Lowering mast," Yasui cried as they lazily moved into one of the open docks. The ship careened slightly before righting itself in the water. A dock worker setting a ladder aside the vessel for the passengers to disembark.

"Excuse me," she barked in what she thought was a dignified tone, "we were supposed to have a chariot or covered cart waiting for us here at the docks." She tapped her foot and faked a look of annoyance. "We have engagements planned in uptown, are we expected to walk now?"

 

[Khari]

Khari blinked at Ichika's near instant change in demeanor. For a second she thought that her friend had been concealing some part of herself...and then she remembered.

Her cheeks colored for a moment, and then she added. "Yeah!"

The Daemonette's acting ability were not as good as her friends. The Dock Worker for his part seemed confused, and then his face paled in fear as he looked from Ichika to Khari to their three companions. The latter seemed to shake their heads, as though warning the man.

"I-I-I'm not sure ma'am, I just work the do-"

"I don't care where you work!" Khari said, stepping forward and wagging her finger. "Fetch us a cart right now or I'll have you thrown into the sea! Honestly is this out Nira treats her guests?"

The man was about to stammer something else, then just nodded his head.

"Yes, Ma'am, of course ma'am, right away."

Without another word he quickly darted off down the docks.

Khari turned back towards Ichika.

"Too much?" She asked with a frown.

 

[Ichika]

The smile that took over Ichika's face as the dockworker fled was the stuff of legends. A quick glance back at her friend confirmed that Khari hadn't gone overboard at all. "No way," she said with a gentle grip at the daemonette's upper arm, "we're spoiled, obscenely wealthy, aristocrats. We talk down to everyone now. We're basically princesses but we don't have to care about the honor or dignity part that comes with such titles."

By the end of this trip they were going to break hearts, make deals that would never come to fruition, and ruin one of the most prestigious families in the Erdeniin Dynasty.

All said and done, Ichika thought it was going to be an incredibly fun time.

Within just a few moments a two-seater cart covered with fine gold and red linens arrived on the dock. It was being hauled by a minotaur that appeared to be close to ten feet tall with arms as broad as tree trunks. They had minotaurs in Dornoch but Ichika had never seen them used for transporting rich children about.

"About time," she said in an annoyed tone, "but at least you finally straightened your superior's mistake." Ichika flipped a coin towards the younger dockworker that had accompanied the broad minotaur. Important to keep the rank-and-file happy as they tended to their boat.

"Y-yes ma'am," he said with a stutter as he clung to the small golden coin as if it would fly off, "s-so sorry about the confusion."

With a huff Ichika settled into a seat on the hand-pulled cart and tapped the plush cushion beside her, gesturing for khari to join.

 

[Khari]

Khari fought the urge to wave to the minotaur.

In a strange way, she had always gotten along the most with the minotaurs found in Dornoch. They were usually friendly to her, though she had absolutely no idea why. Maybe it was a kinship of horns. The fact that they were not quite human but close.

She was loathe to be rude to one. "Driver."

They didn't have to be mean to everyone.

"Take us to the nicest, fanciest, best hotel in all of Nira." She tried to sound as high class as physically possible. Her chin was raised up high, her nose in air. It was something she had seen a lot of nobles do over the years. Especially when talking to her. "Money is not object."

Her fingers snapped. "Asuka. Make sure to bring our luggage."

With that they quickly headed off, the little moving along the expansive docks that lay around the city center of Nira.

 

[Ichika]

Luggage? Asuka's face looked as puzzled as hers until they both realized that Khari was playing up their personas. She picked up fanciful living quite easily it seemed.

As the cart bumped along the stony roads of Nira the pair caught glimpses of the city's history. Some buildings were old, industrious, and even impressive works of marble and stone. Others were ramshackled together with whatever building materials had been available centuries ago. It was a place whose origins were rich with stories though Ichika didn't know most of them.

A plague enshrined over one spacious park indicated that it was dedicated to the slaving pens that once were stored there, though their cart moved too quickly for her to read the rest. Another area looked to house a sprawling temple complex.

The minotaur grunted as the cart slowed, "lotta traffic today."

"Are they gathering to see us?" Ichika allowed a short giggle to escape. Not just in hopes it amused Khari but to let their minotaur chauffeur know she wasn't seriously that daft.

"Last night of the Remembrance Festival," he shared in a monotone voice, "there'll be partying until the wee hours of dawn."

Grinning from ear-to-ear Ichika spoke loudly enough for the minotaur to hear, "precisely why we were invited here." She cut a look towards her demoness friend as if to say, 'what luck.'

 

[Khari]

Perfect. Khari said with a beaming smile.

It seemed that luck was on their side finally. Perhaps payback for having to endure the loss of another friend, or the sounds of that...horrid, horrid display back in the estate. The thought made her want to wretch, but she managed to hold her gag reflex in check.

Her gaze flickered through the crowd.

Most people seemed to be wearing extravagantly bright colors. Reds, Orange, Yellows. They all seemed slashed over dresses and suits, some people wore masks with glitter, others paints upon their cheeks.

The Daemonette couldn't help but smile at the sight, especially when she glimpsed a few people wearing false horns. Unconsciously she reached up, touching one of the crowns on her head and grinning to herself at the thought of actually fitting in without a glamour spell. "Wait....wait wait wait!"

She called to the minotaur, unable to hold in her excitement.

"Look there...Peco." Khari struggled to remember Ichika's false name in her glee, but she pointed at a storefront.

Inside of it were dozens upon dozens of fluttering practically glowing dressed. Each one more intricate than the last. "Sir."

The Minotaur looked back at Khari in confusion. "Take us there first."

 

[Ichika]

All of the different colors of their outfits caused Ichika's mouth to drop in awe. The various masks and adornments were incredible to behold as well. She couldn't help but notice a few wore horns, not unlike Khari's, and Ichika made a mental note to avoid such a fashion choice. She didn't want to offend her new friend, after all.

"Yes, that place looks suitable," her voice was lazy and disinterested. "Very fine choice Tara."

In reality, she was beaming and she managed to conceal a smile so that only the daemonette might see it. Normally any formal affair she was forced to attend was boring. Various finger foods and chit chat with people she didn't care about. But Peco? Peco love small gatherings and huge parties equally. Peco was the life of the party.

Once the minotaur arrived before the storefront Ichika descended opposite of Khari and handed the minotaur a few coins. "We shan't be long, please await our return." She wondered if she was possibly overselling it but then dismissed the thought as realizing that foreigners could have any number of weird quirks about them.

As the pair entered the store not only would they see an adornment of fabrics and colors awaiting their perusal but a diminutive goblin approached them with her hands twirling in excitement.

"Welcomes," the obviously old-aged scaly green woman said, "you will both be wanting to try something on?"

 

[Khari]

Ichika had been dropping coins left and right, the dockworker and the Cart driver. A pang of guilt struck through Khari, and before she could help herself she slipped a hand into her pack and pulled free an Ingot of gold. "No!"

The word was more forceful than she had meant it to be, but there was no dialing back now.

A flicker of surprise and shock crossed the old Goblin Woman's face. It was clear that she thought Khari was offering some sort of objection, but it was just the opposite. She flipped the gold bar towards the old woman who just barely managed to catch it.

The weight made the little goblin stumble slightly, and she looked up at Khari with such shock in her face that it seemed her jaw was about to fall off.

"We want to buy out your store." Perhaps it was a bit much, but they were here to make an impression. "We'll be the only two wearing these dressed tonight."

She smirked, glancing at Ichika. "I would like that one please."

Khari said, pointing at a dress that matched the color of the lines on her face.

 

[Ichika]

Buy out the store? Khari had upped the stakes, they weren't just filthy rich daughters of nobles anymore. They were filthy rich daughters of kings.

"Yes, as she says, the whole inventory." Ichika smiled at her friend and nodded at the shade of red the dress she had picked was. "Oh, Tara, I like that one. It'll look stunning on you."

For her part, she took a moment to glance around until settling on a lavender dress with pale blue accents and a wavy collar. "That one will do nicely for me."

The diminutive goblin's attention suddenly returned to reality. "Yes! Such beautiful ladies deserve such beautiful dresses!" She turned hurriedly towards Khari's selection and, once her back was to them, she bit at one end of the gold bar to, 'test its authenticity.' Once she was certain it was the genuine article she tied it, tightly, to the front of her outfit and took the red dress off its rack.

In one hand she carried the flowing fabric while bringing a step-stool in her other. She ascended the stool just in front of the horned woman and held the red dress up to the daemonette. "Oh yes, yes, we can take it in here," she marked an area of the dress near Khari's torso, "will take just a few moments."

After more than a few moments both women were adorned in their elaborate and appropriately stylish dresses.

 

[Khari]

Khari was practically beaming.

She couldn't remember a time where she had been allowed to wear a dress like this. There had been a few parties that the Dynast had let her attend, some gala's where she had even been requested. Yet never had she gone as...well anything other than herself.

The Daemonette had worn leathers, blades strapped to her. She had been another form of security, a determent, never an attendee.

She was glowing. "Masks!"

Khari shouted slightly, almost causing the goblin woman to stumble back in surprise. A smile pulled at the Daemonette's lips, and she looked over at Ichika almost sheepishly.

"We'll need to match everyone else." It was clear from her tone that such was not exactly her whole reason.

"Ah, yes of course, Madam. I have many, all custom made by Jarim the Mask Maker."​

Khari let out an 'ooo', then stepped off the pedestal. "Show us please."